Nikon D600 vs D700

Now that the Nikon D600 is officially out, I am sure many photographers will be interested in seeing feature differences between the old and discontinued Nikon D700 and the new D600. Please keep in mind that this Nikon D600 vs D700 comparison is purely based on specifications. Note: a detailed comparison with image samples and ISO comparisons is provided in the D600 Review.

Interestingly, the Nikon D600 is a lot more like the D7000 than the D700, thanks to its inferior autofocus system and similar camera build. However, the sensor is full-frame, so it cannot really be compared to the D7000 anymore. Let’s take a look at how the two cameras compare – I am sure many current Nikon D700 owners are wondering about the differences.

Nikon D600 vs D700 Specification Comparison

Camera Feature

Nikon D600

Nikon D700

Sensor Resolution

24.3 Million

12.1 Million

Sensor Type

CMOS

CMOS

Sensor Size

35.9×24.0mm

36.0×23.9mm

Sensor Pixel Size

5.9µ

8.45µ

Dust Reduction / Sensor Cleaning

Yes

Yes

Image Size

6,016 x 4,016

4,256 x 2,832

Image Processor

EXPEED 3

EXPEED

Viewfinder Type

Pentaprism

Pentaprism

Viewfinder Coverage

100%

95%

Built-in Flash

Yes, with flash commander mode

Yes, with flash commander mode

Storage Media

2x SD

1x Compact Flash

Continuous Shooting Speed

5.5 FPS

5 FPS, 8 FPS with MB-D10 battery grip

Max Shutter Speed

1/4000 to 30 sec

1/8000 to 30 sec

Shutter Durability

150,000 cycles

150,000 cycles

Exposure Metering Sensor

2,016-pixel RGB sensor 3D Color Matrix Metering II

1,005-pixel RGB sensor 3D Color Matrix Metering II

Base ISO

ISO 100

ISO 200

Native ISO Sensitivity

ISO 100-6,400

ISO 200-6,400

Boosted ISO Sensitivity

ISO 50, ISO 12,800-25,600

ISO 100, ISO 12,800-25,600

Autofocus System

Multi-CAM 4800FX

Multi-CAM 3500FX

AF Detection

Up to f/8 (center 7 AF points only)

Up to f/5.6

Video Capability

Yes

No

Video Output

MOV, Compressed and Uncompressed

N/A

Video Maximum Record Time

20 min in 24p, 30 min in 30p

N/A

Video Maximum Resolution

1920×1080 (1080p) @ 24p, 25p, 30p

N/A

Audio Recording

Built-in microphone External stereo microphone (optional)

N/A

LCD Size

3.2″ diagonal TFT-LCD

3.0″ diagonal TFT-LCD

LCD Resolution

921,000 dots

921,000 dots

HDR Support

Yes

No

Built-in GPS

No

No

Wi-Fi Functionality

Eye-Fi Compatible, WU-1B, UT-1

WT-4A

Battery

EN-EL15 Lithium-ion Battery

EN-EL3e Lithium-ion Battery

Battery Life

900 shots (CIPA)

1,000 shots (CIPA)

Battery Charger

MH-25 Quick Charger

MH-18a Quick Charger

Weather Sealed Body

Yes

Yes

USB Version

2.0

2.0

Weight (Body Only)

26.8 oz. (760g)

35 oz. (995g)

Dimensions

141 x 113 x 82mm

147 x 123 x 77mm

MSRP Price

$2,099 (as introduced)

$2,999 (as introduced, dropped to $2,699.95, discontinued)

As you can see, aside from an inferior autofocus system, slower max shutter speed and lighter build, the D600 has plenty to offer in comparison. Would I upgrade to the D600 from the D700? If max shutter speed, slower sync speed and inferior AF were not as important, or if I desperately needed video, then I sure would. Otherwise, the D700 is still a phenomenal camera. Looks like the D600 would be a nice backup camera for it.

Obviously, image quality is a big factor that I am not analyzing here. The Nikon D600 might offer impressive performance in comparison to the D700, especially in low-light situations (once down-sampled). Once I do a thorough analysis between the two (detailed comparisons coming soon), I will update this article with my recommendations.

For now, take a look at the Nikon D600 Image Samples. Seems like the D600 might be great for wildlife (with its f/8 AF capability) – the owl shot taken with the Nikon 200-400mm and TC-20E III looks great!

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About Nasim Mansurov

Nasim Mansurov is the author and founder of Photography Life, based out of Denver, Colorado. He is recognized as one of the leading educators in the photography industry, conducting workshops, producing educational videos and frequently writing content for Photography Life. You can follow him on Instagram, 500px and Facebook. Read more about Nasim here.

Reader Interactions

Comments

1) Adnan Khan

September 13, 2012 at 3:28 am

Wow! very busy day :) lots of things coming out :)) Thanks for posting all the fresh stuff so quickly and thoroughly Nasim and your team :)

I have one question beside disappointing 1/4000 SS , how can the focusing system be inferior if it can handle F8 and though Multi-CAM 3500FX is in D3x to D800 and D700 but the D4 and D800 can also focus at F8 even if D600 has 7 points but it’s more than enough than nothing! And with smaller pixel size ,I’m sure it’s IQ will be great!

Peter, it would be idiotic for Nikon to release a full-frame DSLR without AF Fine Tune :) It is included on the D600, as stated in its manual “Nikon Multi-CAM 4800 autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection, fine-tuning, 39 focus points”.

thanx, than dpr has wrong info on this, i am happy that nikon included this really important feature… altough i still cannot find this info in the official product brochure… maybe i am looking at the rong side :)

Peter, I have a D600 and can confirm that the D600 does in fact have the autofocus fine tune option in the Setup menu, next-to-last option, just before the firmware revision setting and with the +-20 adjustment as Nasim described (and apparently same as the D800). There is no mention in the D600 manual’s table of contents nor in the index, but the camera software definitely has it in the menu. In the manual, the instructions begin on page 259. One immediately-noticeable difference is that the D600 will store adjustments for up to 12 “lens types” whereas the D800 will store adjustments for up to 20 “lens types”.

I became motivated to confirm its existence today when I realized during preliminary camera testing and new Nikon 24-70 2.8G lens testing that I might need to make some focus adjustments for the 24-70 lens :( –a bit unsettling , but at least it may not be necessary to return both camera & lens in hopes that a 2nd batch would magically perform as expected.

I’m just happy i don’t have to use it on my D600. The D7000 is horrible and you have to with auto focus fine tune all the time to get sharp photo’s. Now back to the D700 in theory shouldn’t it perform better than the D600 with those big ole pixels? I mean I know 24mp is nice for cropping and house sized prints, but in theory the D700 should be awesome in low light and have stellar image quality? Been thinking about giving up on the D7000 and picking up a used D 700 for a backup?

Thanks Adnan, I thought so but wasn’t sure. Why don’t Nikon do that with all their cameras? I know they want to keep features on their higher end models (and increase sales of their new lenses) but this feature would be very popular with videographers who use old glass not to mention photographers who want high quality glass without having to mortgage their house! How many people would switch over to Nikon just because of this one feature- i.e. accurate light metering through old MF lenses?

I have used a 500mm F8 Bower with no contacts and no in menu support with D5000 in M mode, my friend is using an 85mm 1.4 with D5100 with great results in M mode , but in models those specifically support the in menu input the AI-s lenses work great in A and M mode I’ve used 28mm 2.8 and 55mm 2.8 micro with superb results.The 55mm (marvelous glass) also worked with the Kenko AF extension tube perfectly.

Well ,features are the main thing that differentiates between the price range :) ,they didn’t put motors in smaller DX cams and the fantastic and cheap AF-D lenses became MF sadly. That’s Nikon ;) ,Canon’s photographers cried even more when they completely changed the mount when they converted from FD to EF :))

Yes I have used old MF glass with my D5100 and am happy with using the histogram to get a good idea of exposure. The great lenses for me would be (saving up!) 20mm F4 and the 85mm F2 or maybe f1.4, for landscape and portraiture respectively. But I am learning the zonal system and so I would need spot metering, yes I could get an external light meter but it would be amazing if my D5100 could meter through older glass. I think Nikon have shot them selves in the foot by removing this ability of their cheaper cameras.

Getting back to the article though I think I might wait for the D700 to come down in price, however a big part of FX for me would just be the viewfinder. I was brought up with old 35mm film cameras and I really miss proper viewfinders, the viewfinder on the D5100 is like trying to peer through the eye of a needle! And of course a small prime wide angle (20mm f4, 24mm F2.8) would be truly wide angle on FX no need for massive heavy wide angled zooms.

don’t spend your money on the 20/F4 — it’s a horrible piece of glass (both vignetting and barrel distortion), and yes, I have one. Instead, you might want to look at Tokina’s 11-16/F2.8 which is FX-compatible at 16mm. While not perfect, this one sure gives Nikkors a run for the money.

thanks for a nice post. I just bought D700 and i am not getting distracted by any other camera now.:-)

commitment u know.

Credit goes to u. Each time u post a review, whether its lens or a camera, i feel like i wanna buy one, so for me, the reviews are far more informative, helped me choose the right camera i was looking for and am trying to learn more about how to get better with d700.

yes, one more thing. I am not leaning towards nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 lens, thanks to the superb review by u:-)

Of course, it would also be idiotic for Nikon to release a whole line of D800s where there was a known unevenness of focus across the sensor in a huge number of copies. I’ll wait a year or so before dropping $2k on this latest release.

I don’t think Nikon will repeat the same mistake twice. Will there be issues on first batches? Probably, that’s pretty much expected from cameras these days. As long as those issues can be addressed via firmware fixes and do not require physical inspection/part replacements, we should be good.

I use the DK-17M magnifier on my D700 with a custom focusing screen to allow me to manually focus my AI glass with relative ease. I realize the coverage is 100% on the D600, but with a smaller body, does it sacrifice some viewfinder size and/or magnification? Thanks!

He shoots portraits with above 1/200 in bright ambient light disregarding the fantastic ADL function by Nikon :)) …of course for him it’s game over :) …where there is no need of flash in the first place :) A camera which can focus in -2ev should not need that much flash :) except for creative exposures and very low light or where fill flash is a must. If it’s game over for him ,it does not mean end of the world for others ;)

Personally I avoid flash as much as possible , if you guys are shooting weddings then this camera is not for you get a D4 or a D800 like pros :) but a skillful photographer can do weddings and ceremonies in room lights with just one SB700 with D600 ;) Please do read Nikon’s manual in full about flash photography and people were shooting with 1/125 and 1/90 with flashes in film days :)

if you guys are normal hobbyists or enthusiasts like me and like this camera and want to upgrade from D90,D7000,D300 ,D700 sure by all means go ahead :) ,for D700 if you like it then keep it it’s a great camera if you want to print 3ft. large prints then get this D600 :)

Just don’t give up your hope and enthusiasm if a certain camera does not meet one photographer’s requirement. It’s a full frame high res camera for general photography from landscapes to certain level of action too, more like a D7000 on steroids ;) and can be a second body contender for a full time pro for it’s new processing chip and high res MPs.

Awesome video ! I take back my SS concern :)) ,but now my D7000 and D800 combo is working fine ,maybe later at some point I might go for it ;) , after all I have more FX lenses :) Thanks for the awesome video once again :)

I know you’re saying that the D600 can’t be compared to the D7000 because one is FX and the other is DX, but the way I’m reading the specs, the D600 has basically brought almost identical D7000 specs into the FX format world. For wildlife and nature photography would continue to use DX formats given the additional focal distance you obtain. But for commercial purposes, an FX format is pretty nice. So if you can afford the D600, I would rather save a few more bucks in the upcoming months and go for the D800 instead. Having 2 bodies (1 FX and 1 DX) and the ability to use same lenses is priceless…

It looks like the AF area on the D600 covers only a tiny region of the whole viewfinder. This is much smaller than the D800 area. I’m wondering how much of a pain this will be to focus on non-central focal points. Might be tough.

It is obvious that Nikon has a camera but the new 700 series to launch. The camera is really intended for wedding photographers for example, which has no identification with the features of the D800 image, and are far to invest in a d4. This is the big market and Nikon will not hand it to Canon tray … It is the flagship of Nikon.

The day has arrived , my friends, where I can throw my small primes(20mm & 24mm f2.8 D) into my Lowepro Offtrail waist pack and hike for MILES into the backcountry of the Rocky Mountains and achieve results never dreamed of….outside of packing 20 lbs of camera gear on a pack mule or llama.

Oh, Galen, if you were alive to see this day! This would be YOUR camera. THE ONE you’ve been waiting for. The D600 is dedicated to YOU and all other adventurers who want the highest quality while carrying the least amount of gear.

Folks, Nikon is starting to figure it out. They’ve realized that only a VERY SMALL percentage of shooters truly require a massive, tank-heavy body. Sure, if you’re working for the press in, say, Egypt while a revolution breaks out, or on the sidelines of a soccer match during a down pour, then the D600 may not stand up to the same abuse as the “pro” bodies.

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your efforts in producing one of the top photography sites on the net! Your objective and broad viewpoints are instructive and refreshing. Keep up the good work!

Absolutely, Nasim! I’m SUPER pumped up about this camera and placed an order for it as soon as B&H alerted me via email that it was available for pre order.

The D600 is the ideal body for me. I’ve been wanting a Nikon FX camera in a smaller, lighter foot print since the day that Canon announced the 5DmkI. I hung in there with Nikon(because of the Nikkor glass that I already owned and my Nikon flash gear, which is light years ahead of Canon’s), saying to myself: “don’t jump to Canon, the day is coming when Nikon will make THE camera that you’re waiting for…..and here it is!

I nearly bought a D800 a few months back, but am so glad that I didn’t. I ran into a friend of mine at an event and he was sporting a brand new D800 with shiny, new 2.8 zoom glass(24-70 & 70-200). I’m taller than average, having xlarge hands and typically can’t find gloves that fit properly, and yet this D800 with big glass felt like a medium format system in my hands! Way TOO BIG & HEAVY for carrying up into the mountains on overnight backpacking trips; which is what I want an FX camera for.

I currently shoot with a D7000, having moved into that body from a D200 that I had for years. I LOVED the ergonomics of the D200, but wanted more resolution and why I moved to the D7K. I shoot backcountry landscapes and some of the images that I’ve shot need to be printed at 24×36″ in order to do them justice; and neither 10MP, 12MP or 16MP in the DX format can cut it at that size.

To those insisting that digital files can be printed at ANY size and that viewing distance is the determining factor, I respectfully disagree with you. There is DISCERNIBLE difference, to even a casual viewer, when looking at a 24×36” print from an image produced with a Canon D5MkII -vs- one produced with a Nikon D700. It’s not even a close race. The tonal range and definition at higher print sizes is simply not there with the smaller pixel count.

With the introduction of the D600, all of that changes! I can now have my D7000 foot print(which I really like) in an FX format. I couldn’t be happier!

I am owner D700. I wait for D600. I think Nikon show line up of FX camare already. I want the new one can use vdo mode. I still love my D700 but it have not vdo mode. I hate big 36MP in D800. Because I must pay for CF, new harddisk, money for upgrade computer. I don’t like many feature are reduced in D600. Now i still confuse which way is good choice to upgrade for vdo mode. D600 or D800? It is difficult to change to Canon markiii because i have many lens and equipment for nikon.

Anan Check your priorities first ,that you want to shoot stills or will be using more video on your camera ,if you can afford D800+all it’s needs as you stated with a powerful PC then D800 is a great camera ,personally I don’t like the video feature in DSLRs and even hate the video button Nikon put where metering button used to be, but this is my personal preference. If video is number one priority then D3200 and D5100 shoot very good video beside fantastic pictures,that will save you a lot of money for high quality lenses. If you want to upgrade from D700 on the basis of new tech. FX plus video features then D600 is the camera to get. It should not be difficult now to choose a camera from Nikon’s long list of choice :)

salam nasim, very good article, I love it. i want to upgrade my D7000 to a full frame camera. if I can get the D700 (used) for $ 1500-1600, should I buy it or I’d better buy a new d600? I do not really need a video or 24MP (on my D7000 unused). I love the 51 AF on the D700, but what is the difference between the Nikon D700 expedd compared with the nikon d600 nikon expedd3? Thank you …

W/S Ali , if you want to upgrade for just a full frame camera the D600 is a full frame D7000 with better focusing ,metering and more MPs. Then sure go ahead! If budget matters and you are not into videos and not printing more than 3 ft images then D700 is head to head with D7000 with slightly better performance in high ISO’s being a full frame camera. However ,buying a used electronic camera is bit tricky ,if the seller is well known or you have seen that how much the camera was used, abused or not then it’s easy. Some reputable online stores like B&H do sell used and refurbished items and they give number ratings to the products, e.g +9 , 9, +8 , 8 ,7 ,6 (higher number means item is in very good condition or like new.I bought a FM3a in condition 9 for my cousin from B&H last yr. and it’s like new with very less signs of use , as they stated., works perfectly! Old bodies can be cleaned and serviced ,shutter count can be zeroed but if there is a serious flaw and is just temporarily fixed by the owner for just selling it then it might be more heavy on the wallet .

So, in short either buy the D700 from a reputable seller or get the new Exspeed 3 processor with new metering and focusing system upto -2ev (as in D800 and D4) ,plus you keep the D7000 battery and SD cards and remote ML L-3 for the new D600 :)

Yes, I have another battery and a remote shutter that I could use again if I buy a d600. I also think the nikon d600 expeed3 more accurate than the D7000 because the size of the sensor (FF vs APCS), so 39AF (D600) vs 51AF (D700) may not be a problem. Thank you very much Adnan Khan for your reply… :)

You asked and answered what you would do if considering replacing your D700 with a D600. Until today I was considering purchasing a used D700. Going price about $1,750. For $250 more I can get a new camera, video (not sure I’ll ever use it), etc. Anything I’m missing about why I shouldn’t just purchase the D600 new instead of a used D700?

Bill , D700 iss a great camera sadly discontinued by Nikon, the thing I liked most about it that it is a true DSLR without the video feature , but these are electronics and every year we will see something jaw dropping from all the big players in business :) As a layman my answer to you would be in a question :) ,that, would you consider buying a top of the line VCD player now or a Blue ray player ? D600 is the cheapest full frame camera to date and packs a powerful punch in features according to it’s price range. With extremely tight budget issue ,other than that I cannot figure out why one should not go for the new tech. with adding few 100 bucks :) ,if you keep it for 4 yrs. that would be 500/yr do the math in months and days :)

I remember when the new top of the line Nikon F5 came out in late 90’s it was about $2400 USD and we could just dream about it ,all the D3 bodies are of that design :)

I was in the same position. However, since the D600 is $2400 in Australia. I decided to pick up a D700 with 8000 clicks and battery grip and spare battery for $1650.

I weighed up the pros and cons of the cameras and based on my personal use case if I could pick up a D700 for less than $1750 I was going down the D700 route. Video wasnt really important to me so I didnt rank that very highly. If it is for you then D600 would be the obvious choice.

Either way they are both great cameras and you will be happy with either.

I used to have a D7000 but felt that although it was a great camera, I wanted to try out the FX size. I found the small sized D7000 a bit awkward to hold–using a grip felt better. With the D700, the hefty body seems to fit more in my hands, more solid, and the huge viewfinder that even shows the bokeh were plus points to me. The D600 surely looks attractive but I feel that the build and additional buttons of the D700 make up for whatever old technology it has. I was waiting to see the D600 but if it feels just like the D7000 then I’m sticking with the D700. I’m not much into video and for that I have the iPhone and the X100 (for crop frame) so let’s see…

When I first held the D700 I thought it is a F100 in digital :) ,it’s a great camera and if you like it hold on to it :) but these digital cameras cannot go as long as film cameras ,my all Film cameras from Canon AE-1 to F100 still work perfectly and all deliver same results with exception to very high quality glass only :) Sadly, I lost my D700 and some very expensive gear in Thailand and had to start from scratch in digital, the only reason I bought the D7000 is because of the new tech. it is head to head with D700 but D700 still gives better high ISO performance as a FX cam. :) With the fabulous X100 you don’t need an upgrade , all you have to do is shoot!

So I’ve recently owned the D70&D70s and was saving up to upgrade to the D700 ( I shoot mainly in both fast moving, and portrait style photography ), with the release of the D600, which camera would you recommend for such style photography?

Alexander , The D700 is fast for action with battery grip it can reach 8fps but in portrait color depth the D600 will win as 4 yr new camera it has many plus points for that and for 5.5 fps its not a very good action camera but still can deliver decent shots. D700 has 95% coverage of view finder but D600 has 100% which is very helpful in composing pictures. I’ll highly recommend the new D600. If budget matters the DX D7000 still has a lot of potential and can be a nice action camera plus it produces great portrait quality pictures also and is head to head with the full frame D700 (discontinued) now. You can either get this new D600 full frame for $2100 or the cheaper alternative is $1000 D7000 body plus $1100 to spare for a better lens or two maybe :)

Looking at your Flickr photos, personally I’ll suggest a D7000 + 85mm 1.8 AF-D + 70-300 4.5-5.6 VR II + SB400 or SB700 if your budget can slightly exceed $2000 ,that’s it! you are good to go for portraits with 85 and 70-300 is great for just about anything :) ,invest in good glass.

Hi, I have D7000, 35mm 1.8G, I would like to know the differences in buffer capacity, processing speed, dynamic range, tonal clarity, ergonomics and auto focus for still photography in D600 compared with D700.

my usage: No need for video at all, need auto focus fast, need sharpness in high ISOs retaining the tones and textures.

High ISO results will be out when the camera will be delivered to Nasim :) D700 has very nice Image quality in high ISO’s, but i’m sure D600 will not disappoint.

In all other things you mentioned the D600 wins as a 4yr. new camera being an electronic item. it’s meter and processing speed is twice as much as of D700 and can focus in -2EV at F8,like D800 and D4.

Your 35mm 1.8 G DX is a DX lens will only work with D600 in DX mode , it will give black borders on D700 as full frame cameras’s large sensor needs larger image circle so you have to get a 50mm 1.8 D or G (both very very sharp lenses ,the D is cheaper)

Nasim, I really appreciate your site and write-ups. I’m having a really tough time deciding between the D700 and the D600. I don’t need video but want sharp, noise-free (lesser the better) images in low light mainly for weddings and similar lifestyle events. I know with the new sensor and downsampling from 24mp the D600 will perform great but I’m scared every time I hear the words “inferior AF system”… I currently own the D7000 and I’m not impressed with the AF – I need better, more consistent results (I understand that the D600 will be better than D7000). I have the opportunity to buy the D700 used with low actuations for under $1600 where the D600 will be well above $2100. Given my purpose what would be your recommendation for me? I thank you in advance for your valuable response.

Forgot to mention, price isn’t an issue for me between these two cameras. I will pay more for D600 if it’s a better choice. I mentioned the price of a used D700 only because if the 2 were neck and neck then I would obviously take whichever costs less. :) Thanks.

The Nikon D600 is better than the Nikon D700. The D600 is even better than the Canon 5Dmk3. Today, Sony makes the best sensors in the world: because of that, Nikon and even HASSELBLAD(see Hasselblad Lunar) want have Sony-sensors. The sensors of Canon are NOT so gut as the Sony-sensor. I think in the future, Sony will sell sensors, Nikon and Hasselblad will sell very good CAMERAS, and Canon will sell just PRINTERS(may printers with scanning/copying capability). Canon is decadent, makes nothing good anymore, only derelicts, stumers. Adieu Canon, bye-bye Canon, goodbye Canon.

I own a D700 and i’m looking at upgrading to either the D800 or D600. I’m by no means a pro, I mainly shoot waves and surf action. The D4 would be great with its massive FPS but I simply can’t afford the camera or the surf housing upgrade. There are both good points to both cameras but also bad, if only the d800 had a higher FPS but if only the 600 had 59 AF points. I guess what I want to know is come time to print on canvas or a nice glossy framed pic, how much if any detail and sharpness would I be losing in the 600 compared to the 800. Yes I no the 800 has a massive 36 megapixel but I’m not printing any billboards here, the 24 would suffice. Any help on what direction to go would be great. Cheers Callan

Callan , your D700 can print billboard size images , a 6MP size can be blown up to 6 ft. or more. How close are you when you see a billboard ? by reducing dpi or ppi an image can be enlarged many times. I’m not using photoshop but a guy master in PS can elaborate on it. It’s the stock photo sites that are creating misconception and are demanding at least 6 MP files in 300dpi ,it’s for their semi commercial printers to produce 30 inch sharp images ,otherwise a 12MP file can easily be printed into a 6 to 10 feet size print. One will not be holding that print in hand or looking at it from 3 ft. away ,one has to be at least 15 ft away to view it and it will appear sharp! D600 is faster than D800 and is better than D700 if tech. matters but if printing matters your 12 MP camera can do the job ,inquire from a billboard maker they will answer you correctly.

Your pictures are awesome and some of the best under waves shots I’ve seen and can certainly make to billboards :) ,remind me of the Old Spice commercial :)

You’ll have to wait for underwater housing of the new cameras ,I’m not sure if the old housing accepts your new cam. If you intend to buy one :) ,D600 is better in fps and Nasim has said in other post that it’s finder is huge and focusing points are not as small as everyone thought .

Hi Adnan Thanks for the info. Yeh i deff won’t be printing any billboards myself but won’t rule out anyone buying any pics off me haha. I’m more looking at A1 or A2 ish size prints. I would like to set up a store and start selling but that may be a little while into the future. Thanks for the comments on my pictures, feedback is always welcome. Yes I spoke to the guys who made my housing, and bothe the 600 and 800 will fit the surf housing I have, just need a ned trigger sync cord. I think I’m leaning towards the 600 but will wait a little longer I think. Cheers

As a peruvian retired surfer (now I’m living in Vienna) and photo “aficionado”, I enjoyed very much your portfolio, that for me has a completely profi look. Your photos are wonderful.

In Peru there are a lot of shore breaks and any kind of waves. Particularly in Lima we have many thick shorebreaks with crunching power, that the surfers let alone (I thing that the danger of receive a surfboard straight to your eye is reduced when you shoot only waves), but of course, you must take care of your spine and your camera.

The color of the sea in Lima is dark, and it is no so nice as in Australia, but fortunately we don’t have sharks. In the north of Peru there are a lot of tubes and the color of the sea is nicer than in Lima; the shore breaks are also friendlier and not so thick. I have a D700 that I love, and perhaps one day, while I visit Lima, I could try to photograph some waves. I would appreciate if you advice me about the lenses you use and settings like type of focus, etc (I suppose that some of your settings will depend of of the light).

I was thinking about buying a water house, primarilly to do swimming pool photos, but now that I saw your work, also I would like to have something that eventually I could use to photograph waves while visiting my land.

An extra comment. Some of your photos look like done with a polarizer filter. I like the effect, however, I noticed that some dark and curvy lines appeared across the sky. I did photos in Namibia using I Zeiss polarizing filter (for the first time) and I got the same problem, dark lines across the sky, specially noticeably without clouds. Do you know why that happens, or if that effect is not noticeable in printings ? Greetings, Jorge.

Hi Jorge Thanks for the comments on my work. I live in perth and although the water is nice and blue I’m yet to find any spots that have crystal clear water so I can get those underwater behind the barrel shots that look unreal.

I use a Liquideye housing. Cant say enough good things about the guys who make the housings. I was totally new to surf photography and the equipment you need to get in the water. I sent the guys heaps of emails asking questions and what different type of stuff i should get and they were really good to talk to. The price of the housing I got was very good and cheap compared to some other makes. A few things I liked more about the liquid eye housing was the fact that the trigger system didnt have and cords running through the housing. It was a complete sealed unti (apart from the shutter rear dial control I got). The shutter control is all I got put on there n to be honest I have only ever used it a few times. I go through my camera n try set it up to what te weather looks like on the day. I mainly use S priority mode but have only every used A mode once before. I think I leave it on the 51 af focus mode and normally have the shutter at 1/2000-25000.

I mainly use my Nikkor 16mm fisheye as for the inside barrel shots as u get most of it in the frame. No I have never used any filters, but somthing I may look into after reading some stuff online. I know what you mean with the lines in some of the photos in the sky. Thanks for bringing this to my attention, I thought it may have just been my computer or my self, but I think it may be a post processing technique I use in photoshop for my pictures,I just to try draw out the colors a bit more. I just put a gradient over the top to try enhance the blue, but yes somtimes it does leave some small lines. I havn’t printed any images yet but I’m getting a few done over the next few weeks on canvas so I will reply back if they are noticable.

I shoot primarily with AIS & AI primes and I don’t know that the viewfinder on the D600 will give me the same experience as on the D700. Photography would be very boring if I had to choose AF over MF because I couldn’t see what’s in focus on my own. I know the focus confirmation helps when needed, but I rarely rely on them. Has anyone shot with a 50mm 1.2, 55mm 1.2, or 58mm 1.2 on the D600 yet, and how did you like it?

I use a d700 for stills and two d7000s to shoot corporate video. I find using two cameras for interviews and events video very effective. Is the image quality of the d600 video noticeably better in low light?

Having used a friend’s D700, and having owned a D7000 for 18 months and now the proud owner of a shiny D600, I’ve gotta say the handling of the D600 leaves the D700 for dead. “Inferior AF system” is a bit like saying “inferior handling because it’s lighter”. What rubbish. And I defy even the most techy geek to actually show a real-world difference in flash sync speed. The D600 is a very definite, positive move by Nikon. More power to them.

I have a D700 and am looking to sell it and move to a D600. I have looked through the Users Guide and the following points are worth noting:

1. On my D700 I have assigned the centre button of the Direction Pad to show an enlarged view of the histogram; very useful in bright light, or if your have ‘tired’ eyes. This seems not to be possible on the D600.

2. There is reference to restrictions that may apply to the use of tilt shift lenses on the D600. This is not enlarged upon. Does anyone have any information about this?

3. I take long exposure images on my D700; well over the 30 seconds max limit on the D600, using B setting and a tethered release. It is not clear how I would do this with the D600. Can anyone please advise?

My only other concern regards the bracketing feature of only 3 shots. The best offered by the D600 is +/- 3 stops. I am concerned this may be too much of a gap for HDR software to handle. Your comments would be helpful. I will miss the much wider bracketing facility of the D700.

1 – This can be assigned in menu settings or hit play button and press the D pad 2 times up or down to see detailed info plus histogram.

2 – PC lenses can be used but might less tilt n shift (in mm) ,D3s is best for that.

3 – A $13 USD Nikon’s ML-L3 tiny remote can lock mirror up or shoot directly (your choice) in bulb mode. The longest exposure in digital I took was of more than 800 sec. on D7000 so, I think D600 will certainly will be able to do that provided the battery is freshly charged.

If you can’t nail it in 3 then you won’t do it in 9 either ,sorry to be very blunt but I’ve seen great looking HDR pictures taken from D7000 same like D600. I myself am not a fan of HDR but recently took some with D7000 ,I can’t be judge of that but look OK to me!

1. Yes, I am aware of the ability to see the info and RGB histogram, but what I was referring to was a much enlarged histogram that almost fills the LCD screen on the D700. That is MOST useful on the D700, but seemingly not available on the D600. 2. I don’t currently have a PC lens- but it is on the wish list! I think a bit more info is needed here. 3. As I understand it from your comment, the ML-L3 can hold the shutter open on B setting for as long as I choose, using my watch to count the time. This is not as convenient as my tethered control with built0in timer, but obviously will do the job.

As regards HDR, programs like Photomatix like to have increments of 1 or 2 stops; 3 stop increments are really too wide and are a compromise. At least, that is my understanding. The range of exposures needed for HDR depends on the dynamic range of the scene you are trying to cover and I have certainly covered 7 stops and occasionally 9 stops on my D700, all with 1-stop increments. These situations are clearly out of the scope of the D600.

As a compromise, I have considered taking what is available from the D600, 3 images, and using the facility in Lightroom to create virtual copies and adjust the exposures in the copies to make up the missing steps before sending the originals + the virtual copies to Photomatix. Has anyone tried this, or have an opinion as to whether it would work?

Hi Tony, D700 IMO is the best actual DSLR with no video and only still picture camera ,but as these are electronics most things matter in technology like Image quality and some other stuff like high ISO noise level improvements over the older models.

For you D800 is the camera if you are seriously considering an upgrade ,when I came to digital the D700 didn’t give me a so alien feeling as I was shooting with F100 only the sensor was film and there was LCD to check out images on the spot, all other controls were familiar from F100 and F5.

D600 is a very nice reasonably priced FX camera from Nikon and now they have a much better line in FX to choose from. I already bought the D800 ,if I had a choice then even then I’d prefer the D800 as to my needs it is also very reasonably priced looking at the history of Nikon’s pricing of it’s FX cameras like the D3x. I’m keeping the D7000 as the second body for it’s speed only ,if the D600 was 1/8000 at 7fps then I would have replaced the D7000 in a snap. It all comes to personal preferences and style of shooting. This time it’s good that my batteries are same and can use F100’s cord on D800. I never used the cord on D7000 and D5000 the remote is convenient only when there is no issue of over exposing and one only wants the light as long as it is desirable.But using ND in day it matters.

Both cameras are better technology wise from D700 but if you are looking for an actual upgrade the D800 comes nearer (though I hate the video button where metering button was ,this is a really useless placement ,that button could be put anywhere but there)

Histogram is a personal taste ,I trust the meter and only check the LCD if I have some doubt if that’s the case then I take several snaps in different metering :)

With D800’s better DR you will be able to make one snap into HDR :)

I don’t have Photoshop but Lightroom works just fine for me ,yes one can create pseudo HDR with lightroom and Photomatix and it works great! You can also use Nik software plugins like Color efex pro 4 and HDR efex in Lightroom ,I recently came to know (I thought everything was for PS but some of them do work in Lightroom too) and they are really good for finishing touches.

I love all the Debates, It is better than the presidential ones!!! What everyone is clearly missing is that we have came a long way from the D2,D300,D300s,D90 ect……. all at one time OMG cameras I have D300,d90, D800 and a D3 and yes I just had to order the D600 !!!! and i have to say the first thing i did was pack my D3,D800 and new D600 from dusk to dawn… my wife is a very good photographer as well published….. I put all photos on deck from all 3 I edited just a bit In LR4 than sent 15 images to my desktop. i asked her to tell me wht was the D3,D800 and D600 images ….. she told me not to get the D600 BTW ..But she could not tell the diff… so she said lets make some big prints that will say everything… so we went to the studio we get our prints done Still Nothing …. Now she wont give me my dam D600 back…. Use the tools you have correct and you will get the same results I can get great prints with the D2 and D200 I have a sentamental attachment with my D200.. I still use the D200 every winter when i shoot a big ice fishing tournament for bass pro … not one complaint …people we have options so many ,,,THATS A GOOD THING!!!!! BUT KEEP UP THE GREAT DEBATING I LOVE IT AND ******SHOOT RAW*****

I have reluctantly decided that I cannot go ahead with the purchase of the D600. For the present I will stay with my D700. I will explain my reasons:

1. I have been away on a photography weekend with friends and I have used this time to analyse my shooting style and workflow. I love landscape work and increasingly use bracketing with post processing in Photomatix, particularly for sunrise and sunset images. The D600 can do +/- 3 stops with 3 images but the D700 can do +/- 4 stops over 9 images, and I find I do use this span for extreme lighting conditions. Even +/- 3 stops with 3-stop increments might just be enough for most work, but having tested this (by selecting the 3 images out of my series of 7 or 9 images) in Photomatix, the results are inferior to the HDR produced from all 7 or 9 images. This is subjective, but in my opinion, areas of high contrast change take on a plastic-type blur, as if there is not enough information to produce smooth transitions. This is the killer reason I cannot go ahead. It may be that the higher pixel count would provide the additional information to permit +/- 3 stops to create smooth transitions in high contrast zones, but I cannot check this. Perhaps others may have a view?

2. I also do long exposure work greater than 30 seconds on B setting using a tethered remote release that has an easy readout/control of shutter-open time. The D600 cannot do this with the same convenience; it has the crude IR remote release that I used years ago on an old D70. So, not impossible, but a real hassle.

3. I occasionally use Lightroom to control the shutter release on my D700. This is not yet possible on the D600, though I suspect it could be in the future, particularly as Helicon seem to have cracked the problem and they use the same communication with the camera.

My conclusion is that Nikon has crippled the D600 in the above respects. The much larger mega-pixel count, inclusion of video and slightly lighter weight do not compensate the shortcomings, for me and my style of photography.

I know the specs in terms of shutter lag, number of focus points etc., but can the D600 ‘lock’ as fast as the D700? This may be subjective because it can be hard to measure so it is more of an opinion but I’d love to hear what owners of both cameras think.

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